'Iron Man' Composer Sues 'Ghostface' For Millions Over Sample, Name Use

keone

WORLD WAR K aka Sensei ALMONDZ
International Member
The man who composed the original 1966 theme to “Iron Man” has filed a lawsuit against Ghostface Killah, Razor Sharp Records and Sony Records, claiming they illegally used his “Iron Man Theme” on Ghost's 2000 album Supreme Clientele.

Songwriter Jaques "Jack" Urbont filed the lawsuit on June 30th, in United States District Court, Southern District of New York.

Urbont is the legal and beneficial owner of an undivided interest in the original copyrighted musical composition and sound recording for the theme for the “Iron Man Theme” and the music from the 1966 television show.

Urbont is a world-renowned songwriter, who has composed, orchestrated and conducted music for episodes of TV shows like “Mission Impossible,” “Mannix,” and others.

Additionally, Urbont composed the themes and lyrics for “The Guiding Light,” “One Life to Live,” “General Hospital,” and the TV representations of “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “Hulk,” “Submariner,” and “Thor.”

He also has composer credits for TV shows like “All My Children,” “That 70s Show,” “Oprah,” “Rosie,” “20/20, and “The View.”

Urbont has also worked with artists like Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, George Burns and others.

Urbont claims that he owns the exclusive rights to the “Iron Man Theme,” and that Ghostface Killah, Sony, and RZA have been using his work, resulting in substantial revenue for Ghostface.

Ghost, born Dennis Coles, debuted in 1996 with his album Iron Man.

Since then, has been using the "Tony Starks/Iron Man" moniker, in addition to his original name of Ghostface Killah.

The lawsuit claims that in addition to illegally using the “Iron Man Theme” on the album Supreme Clientele, the usage of the name "Tony Starks" is also infringing upon Urbont's copyrights.

“Urbont is over 80 years old and would not normally encounter the defendants rap music in the ordinary course of his dealings in the music industry or otherwise,” Urbont's lawyers said.

“The defendants fraudulently concealed their use of the 'Iron Man Theme' on Supreme Clientele," the lawsuit reads. "For instance the liner notes of Supreme Clientele do not give any indication that Urbont's sound recording or compositions are contained on the album.”

The lawsuit claims that Ghostface's usage of the nickname “Tony Starks" gives the rapper a substantial commercial advantage, by linking him to "Iron Man" without having to pay for it.

Urbont seeks millions in damages.

A copy of the lawsuit is below.http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2011/07/05/22832178.aspx
 
dude will win!!...........he's entirely in the right............

too bad for Ghost, he's one of my favorite rappers...:smh:
 
“Urbont is over 80 years old "


dam ghost about to help put his kids kids kids through college....:rolleyes:


dam that dude resume extensive though....he probably paid...

why now...?

:confused:
 
RZA and them knew better. They was trying to be greedy. They been in the game way to long to even try that shit.:hithead::smh:

dum-asses
 
would'a been dope if you posted plaintiff/defendant youtubes side by side. with a picture of a gavel. and Judge Judy's courtroom bailiff Officer Byrd. next to an Iron man poster. or maybe not
 
RZA and them knew better. They was trying to be greedy. They been in the game way to long to even try that shit.:hithead::smh:

dum-asses


711cec.jpg
 
maybe dude saw dat wack ass cappadona video and was like no way can i let my music be link to dat shit...now ghostface gonna be spitting milk out when he see dat lawsuit..oh well guess it's back to eating cereal with water and a fork
 
i'm sure ghost/rza was aware and had some money in an high interest bearing account for this day
 
I'm not buying this bullshit, even a decade ago, I'm sure RZA or even Sony for that matter wouldn't be dumb enough to use uncleared samples of the old Iron. The samples weren't inconspicious like they were trying to hide it in a beat or something. This old cat is full of shit and I can guarantee he's trying to pull should technicality based lawsuit after Ghost got the samples cleared. This idiot is even claiming he owns the rights to Tony Stark? :lol: This old senile idiot must think he created the character of Iron Man too. :lol:
 
Old man will lose because he has been using the name for years and people clearly know the difference
 
Damn that shit was back in 97-98... The fuck??? Why is this dude just listening to Supreme Clientele first time in 2011, anyway? Sampling is apart of hip hop and art... When are any rappers going to make the "Readymades of Marcel Duchamp" argument for their art?
 
Didn't read the whole thing, guilty of (Colinitis) but has Marvel (Disney) ever made had an issue with Ghost using the moniker?
 
I always thought the name Ghostface Killah was good enough. But damn Ghost just up and took the names Ironman and Tony Starks, no creative thought there, just took the names. Shit, at one point all of Wu had like 10 names for themselves but I believe Ghost and ODB had the most. Stick with one name and go with it.
 
I always thought the name Ghostface Killah was good enough. But damn Ghost just up and took the names Ironman and Tony Starks, no creative thought there, just took the names. Shit, at one point all of Wu had like 10 names for themselves but I believe Ghost and ODB had the most. Stick with one name and go with it.

I guess Ozzie Osbourne owes this old fool money too. The name of the actual character is Tony Stark not Stark(s). Fuck this old fool.
 
So this guy has the copyright for the name Tony Stark? How the fuck did that happen? If not, what does it have to do with his claim about the music?

It seems strange that the label wouldn't have had this base covered ten years ago.
 
I'm not buying this bullshit, even a decade ago, I'm sure RZA or even Sony for that matter wouldn't be dumb enough to use uncleared samples of the old Iron. The samples weren't inconspicious like they were trying to hide it in a beat or something. This old cat is full of shit and I can guarantee he's trying to pull should technicality based lawsuit after Ghost got the samples cleared. This idiot is even claiming he owns the rights to Tony Stark? :lol: This old senile idiot must think he created the character of Iron Man too. :lol:

That's the part that got me.
Do don't even work for Marvel Comics...lol

The rest of his suit seems valid.
It is weird that this would come up 6-7 years later. But they did get Biggies "Ready to Die" pulled off the shelves because of uncleared samples 2 years ago.

I didn't know dude had done that many themes.
I sampled The Hulk and Mission Impossible so I am not going to test the old dude...lol

Ghostface Killer is the name of a character in an old Wu Tang film.

Maybe Ghost can turn around and sue Wes Craven and the producers of the Scream films for calling their killer Ghostface.
 
Last edited:
#1 You can sue Ghostface & lose because RZA created the music. Record company made the money from the album.

#2 Ghost can say he used the sample as a "Parody" and can win off a technicality because of some loop hole depending on what the composer is suing for.(He has to be real specific on what he's suing for because there are like 100 different copywrite protections you can get, kinda like when you get car insurance but only pay for liability then you're not covered when you hit someone )

Don't get me in here misinforming anybody though, I'm just saying you can sue but depending on who's beside you in the courtroom you won't always win.
Ghostface could've saved all this hassle by simply crediting the sample in the credits. That's what sends a lot of these folks into a frenzy.

"My lawyer say for 30 large it'll go away..."
 
all this show is how 9 out of 10 rappers and how alll wannabe rappers lack creativity. ninja can never be original or unique to do their own stuff or create their own identity.
 

I am sure Sony was not that damn irresponsible to let this sample get used without clearance. Hell why ain't composers suing MF Doom? He sampled plenty of Marvel cartoons. I call bullshit on the Composer. All Ghostface needs is MF Doom game over.
 
Back
Top